What makes a good public library: Conclusion

Introduction

A library is easy to describe as a building full of books, and easy to defend on that basis until someone points out that most of those books are available elsewhere, often faster. The buildings that thrive anyway are doing something the description misses.

First argument

The first thing a library provides is a place to be that costs nothing. Almost every other indoor space in a town expects you to buy something, and the few that do not are usually closed, or noisy, or somebody's office. A room you can sit in for three hours without spending money is rarer than it sounds.

Second argument

The second is the staff, which is the part that never appears in the argument about books. Someone who can find the right source for a question that was badly asked is doing work no search box does well, and the people who need that help most are the ones least able to buy it anywhere else.

Counterargument

The obvious reply is that this makes the library a community centre with shelves, and that councils should fund those directly instead. It is a fair point. But the shelves are what gets people through the door without having to declare a reason, and a reason is exactly what some people cannot supply.